Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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566. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider extending associated social welfare benefits such as the fuel allowance and so on to those in receipt of partial capacity benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15273/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs: one allowance is payable per household.  The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons.

Currently, Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) it is not a qualifying payment for fuel allowance and therefore no fuel allowance is payable if a person is in receipt of PCB. 

A review of the PCB scheme has been undertaken (a copy of the review is available on the department’s website at:)and one of the medium term recommendations of the review was that PCB recipients retain entitlement to apply for fuel allowance subject to the standard means test qualifying conditions.

Any consideration with regards to expanding the fuel allowance scheme or other associated social welfare benefits would need to be considered in the overall budgetary process.